Full-scale inquiry called for

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 6

Full-scale inquiry called for

The Government has asked for a full-scale inquiry into the Mount Eden Prison break-out and the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Mr John Jackson, was at the prison yesterday. “This escape is a matter of considerable concern to the Government,” said the Ministerof Justice, Mr Palmer. There had beenr an

organised diversion among the other prisoners; there had been an unlocked prison van in the prison grounds that had been used to facilitate the escape; there were questions about the deployment of staff during the diversion and the escape. The Government would take all the measures it could to ensure that

Mount Eden remained secure, he said. It had had a good security record in recent years. Asked if this break-out did not support the demands for the closing and relocating of the prison, a longstanding issue in that part of Auckland, Mr Palmer said there was no chance the prison would be shifted. Shifting or replacing it

would be too expensive, it was not the only prison in a built-up area, and it was conveniet for remand prisoners to have a secure prison so close .to the Auckland courts. There was no question of under-staffing at Mount Eden having contributed to the escape. He was not implying collusion with staff in the escape, but what

was doing needed clearing up. He did not know why the escape had involved short-term prisoners, including one due for release within two months. There might be some factor in the escape that was not known yet, and that would be inquired into, Mr Palmer said..